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Jeff Daniels(I)

  • Actor
  • Producer
  • Writer
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000160
Jeff Daniels
Get a closer look at Jeff Daniels with a look back at some of his iconic roles over the years.
Play video3:03
Jeff Daniels Movie Moments
98 Videos
99+ Photos
Actor Jeff Daniels was born in Athens, Georgia, but was raised in Chelsea, Michigan. He is the son of Marjorie J. (Ferguson) and Robert Lee Daniels, who owned The Chelsea Lumber Company and was also mayor of Chelsea. Jeff attended Central Michigan University, but became involved in acting and dropped out to pursue a career as an actor. Daniels made his feature film debut in Milos Forman's Ragtime (1981).

Daniels went on to prove himself to be one of Hollywood's most reliable and versatile actors with roles in successes such as Terms of Endearment (1983), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Something Wild (1986), Arachnophobia (1990), Dumb and Dumber (1994), Pleasantville (1998), The Hours (2002) and Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005), to name a few.

Alongside screen work, Daniels has many stage credits to his name and is the founder of The Purple Rose Theater Company in Chelsea, Michigan. He is also a musician and songwriter and has recorded two albums. Daniels is married to his childhood sweetheart, Kathleen Treado and they have three children.
BornFebruary 19, 1955
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornFebruary 19, 1955
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000160
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Won 2 Primetime Emmys
      • 24 wins & 60 nominations total

    Photos423

    View Poster
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    + 419
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    Known for

    Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg, and Owen Kline in The Squid and the Whale (2005)
    The Squid and the Whale
    7.3
    • Bernard Berkman
    • 2005
    Arachnophobia (1990)
    Arachnophobia
    6.5
    • Dr. Ross Jennings
    • 1990
    The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
    The Purple Rose of Cairo
    7.7
    • Tom Baxter
    • Gil Shepherd
    • 1985
    Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels in Dumb and Dumber (1994)
    Dumb and Dumber
    7.3
    • Harry
    • 1994

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Actor



    • Shrinking
      • Jimmy's Father
      • Released
      • TV Series
      • 2026
    • Reykjavik
      • Ronald Reagan
      • Post-production



    • Stephen Colbert in The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015)
      The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
      7.1
      TV Series
      • Beaver
      • Casting Reject
      • 2018–2024
    • Jeff Daniels in A Man in Full (2024)
      A Man in Full
      6.5
      TV Mini Series
      • Charlie Croker
      • 2024
    • Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney in American Rust (2021)
      American Rust
      7.3
      TV Series
      • Del Harris
      • 2021–2024
    • Jeff Daniels and Brendan Gleeson in The Comey Rule (2020)
      The Comey Rule
      7.5
      TV Mini Series
      • James Comey
      • 2020
    • Aaron Paul and Shannon Lucio in Adam (2020)
      Adam
      6.5
      • Mickey
      • 2020
    • Jeff Daniels in Guest Artist (2019)
      Guest Artist
      5.4
      • Joseph Harris
      • 2019
    • The Emperor's Newest Clothes (2018)
      The Emperor's Newest Clothes
      5.4
      TV Movie
      • The Emperor
      • 2018
    • The Looming Tower (2018)
      The Looming Tower
      8.0
      TV Mini Series
      • John O'Neill
      • 2018
    • Paul Rudd in The Catcher Was a Spy (2018)
      The Catcher Was a Spy
      6.3
      • Bill Donovan
      • 2018
    • Michelle Dockery in Godless (2017)
      Godless
      8.2
      TV Mini Series
      • Frank Griffin
      • 2017
    • Shailene Woodley, Miles Teller, Zoë Kravitz, Nadia Hilker, Theo James, and Ansel Elgort in Allegiant (2016)
      Allegiant
      5.7
      • David
      • 2016
    • Matt Damon in The Martian (2015)
      The Martian
      8.0
      • Teddy Sanders
      • 2015
    • Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs (2015)
      Steve Jobs
      7.2
      • John Sculley
      • 2015
    • Be Water (2020)
      30 for 30
      8.8
      TV Series
      • Narrator (voice)
      • 2015
    • Jeff Daniels in The Newsroom (2012)
      The Newsroom
      8.6
      TV Series
      • Will McAvoy
      • 2012–2014

    Producer



    • Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney in American Rust (2021)
      American Rust
      7.3
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2021–2024
    • Jeff Daniels in Guest Artist (2019)
      Guest Artist
      5.4
      • producer
      • 2019

    Writer



    • Jeff Daniels in Guest Artist (2019)
      Guest Artist
      5.4
      • written by
      • 2019
    • Jeff Daniels in Super Sucker (2002)
      Super Sucker
      4.4
      • written by
      • 2002
    • Escanaba in da Moonlight (2001)
      Escanaba in da Moonlight
      6.3
      • play
      • story
      • written by
      • 2001

    Videos98

    Howl: "Artistic Merit"
    Clip 0:55
    Howl: "Artistic Merit"
    Away We Go -- "Antwerp"
    Clip 0:40
    Away We Go -- "Antwerp"
    Away We Go -- "Antwerp"
    Clip 0:40
    Away We Go -- "Antwerp"
    Away We Go -- "Only 6 Months Pregnant"
    Clip 0:46
    Away We Go -- "Only 6 Months Pregnant"
    Away We Go -- "The Pain Is So Enlightening"
    Clip 1:01
    Away We Go -- "The Pain Is So Enlightening"
    Away We Go -- "You're So Fat"
    Clip 0:38
    Away We Go -- "You're So Fat"
    Away We Go -- "You Got Lucky, Sister"
    Clip 0:56
    Away We Go -- "You Got Lucky, Sister"

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Official site
      • Official Site
    • Height
      • 6′ 2¾″ (1.90 m)
    • Born
      • February 19, 1955
      • Athens, Georgia, USA
    • Spouse
      • Kathleen Treado DanielsJuly 13, 1979 - present (3 children)
    • Children
        Ben Daniels
    • Parents
        Marjorie J. Ferguson
    • Other works
      TV commercial for Pepto-Bismol (1982)
    • Publicity listings
      • 8 Interviews
      • 13 Articles
      • 1 Pictorial
      • 10 Magazine Cover Photos

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Had he not gone into acting, he would likely be working in his hometown of Chelsea, Michigan, with his siblings at the Chelsea Lumber Company, owned by the Daniels' family. The Chelsea Lumber Co. provided all the building materials for the construction of his Purple Rose Theater.
    • Quotes
      [on how he got through filming a sex scene in The Squid and the Whale (2005) with Anna Paquin, who had 9 years earlier played his daughter in the goose-filled family film Fly Away Home (1996)]: We tried not to think about ... you know, geese.
    • Salary
      • Dumb and Dumber
        (1994)
        $750,000

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